Hunter
by Raiko Toho
Summary: In an unfamiliar new world, Diana meets a familiar face: Thalia, daughter of Zeus and Hunter of Artemis. PJatO crossed with Sutherland's Avatars series. Set after So This Is How It Ends and The Last Olympian.


**Hunter**

by Raiko Toho

Disclaimer: I don't own _Avatars_ or _Percy Jackson & The Olympians_.

Summary: In an unfamiliar new world, Diana meets a familiar face: Thalia, daughter of Zeus and Hunter of Artemis.

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"It's her!"

"She's back!"

"Venus!"

Diana couldn't believe her eyes: an entire pantheon of gods was arrayed around the clearing, surrounding her with a thick wall of unfamiliar faces, whispering about her arrival, and staring at her like she was some kind of superstar.

Well, she was, but that wasn't the point.

This was not what she had expected to find after traveling across the country in a post-apocalyptic world with only a single boy her age for company. Diana wasn't even sure what she had been expecting, but a group of deities pinning their last desperate hopes on her was not it. She wasn't sure she could beat a kitten, let alone other gods in a death match-- but then, she supposed Zeus only needed her to look pretty and convince the Egyptians into fighting for them.

She smiled and waved, old habits kicking into gear again-- were these people really much different from the fans back in her own time?-- and more than one god had to fight to control their blushes.

"Ahem."

Behind her, Zeus cleared his throat, and the deities all turned to face him, although a few eyes kept flickering back toward Diana.

"As you can see, Venus-- I mean, Diana," the lord of thunder hastily amended at the look in the girl's green eyes, "is with us once again. Her training will begin soon enough, but for now, I'm sure we'd all like the opportunity to get reacquainted!"

Diana groaned inwardly, running a hand through the tangles of her strawberry blonde hair as the ring of gods suddenly broke up, flooding forward as everyone tried to reach her at the same time. She began greeting them-- shaking hands, nodding at their gushing words, even accepting an awkward hug from Vulcan, who Apollo had pointed out earlier-- keeping a fake smile on her face the whole time. Her brother, pretty much the one god she could stand, was conspicuously absent, and Diana wondered where he was.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," a voice whispered in her ear as she fended off a drunken Dionysus.

Diana gratefully took the hand that was offered, letting herself get tugged into the trees and leaving Dionysus to topple over and take the spotlight from her.

The shadowy figure-- Diana couldn't get a good look, despite the fact that it was high noon-- ahead of her picked up the pace, running silently through the forest, then turning onto streets as they left the tangle of greenery that was Central Park. They didn't stop until they reached what she vaguely recognized as the Plaza Hotel, although the fountain in the courtyard was a shattered ruin, along with most of the windows and even part of a wall.

"That should be far enough," the voice said, turning to reveal her vaguely familiar face for the first time. She was tall, with pale skin and a delicately pointed chin that was belied by the dangerous look in her blue eyes. There was a braided silver circlet woven through her spiky black hair and silver chains around her left wrist, and she was wearing grey camouflage cargos, combat boots, and a black leather jacket over a white t-shirt. She looked a year or so younger than Diana herself, maybe fifteen or sixteen, although she couldn't really judge-- the gods were all immortal, after all.

"Hi," Diana began slightly uncertainly. "It's nice to meet you. I'm--"

"Diana. I know," the other girl said, scrutinizing her briefly before grinning. "I'm Thalia."

Diana racked her brain for any mention of that name in the meager collection of Greek myths she knew, but came up empty. She floundered for something to say, and eventually settled for a simple "oh."

Thalia didn't seem to mind the lack of conversation, instead using the silence to study the other girl. Diana fidgeted uncomfortably under the intense blue stare.

"What are you staring at?" she finally snapped, folding her arms defensively.

"Sorry," Thalia said, shifting her gaze. "You've changed."

"How?" Diana wondered. She had dropped out of time for seventy-five years, after all, and she looked the same as that day back in 2012.

"Well, your hair has blonde in it now," Thalia began, ticking it off on her fingers. "Your eyes are green, you've lost weight, and you're still short, but…" she smirked. "Puberty's been good to you."

Diana flushed.

"And I definitely didn't expect that spectacle you made over that boy back on the Great Lawn," the black-haired girl continued.

"Gus is just a friend," Diana protested, blushing a deeper shade of crimson and shoving away the guilty feeling that welled up.

"Alright," Thalia raised a suspicious eyebrow, but let the subject drop. She sat down on a step, brushing away a few shards of glass and leaning back to rest her elbows on the step above. Diana glanced around before joining her, instead sitting straight up with her legs comfortably crossed.

"So, um," she cast around for a topic of conversation, and trailed off when she couldn't find one, which was a little unusual-- she never seemed to have any trouble prattling on about things that didn't really interest her.

Thalia seemed to take pity on her. "Do you know where that came from?" She waved a hand at a deep crater in the marble step several feet away.

Diana shook her head.

"Hyperborean giant, back in… must have been 2008 or 2009. It had this club made out of Stygian ice, which is one of the hardest substances under the earth. Ice meets stone… stone loses."

She went on to describe the origins of the myriad of scars around them, ranging from swords bouncing off _dracaenae_ shields to out-of-control woodland magic to an unhealthy combination of water and lightning.

"What about that one?" Diana pointed to a wide, shallow scoop in the ground, with scorch marks radiating outward. It looked like the epicenter of a large explosion.

"Sulfur arrow, brimstone off a hellhound, and a single spark," Thalia said, grinning. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "Arrows! That reminds me, I brought these for you." She pulled a long, elegant silver bow and a matching quiver of arrows out of thin air and offered them to Diana, who took them after a moment's hesitation. It was carved in the likeness of an animal's horns-- she thought it looked like a gazelle-- and already strung.

"Try it," Thalia urged. Diana stood easily, not taking her eyes off the bow's gleaming silver length.

_It's a little light,_ she reflected, hefting it. As if responding to her thoughts, the weapon grew longer and heavier until it felt perfect in her hands. Instinctively, she took a step forward, notching an arrow and drawing the bow, aiming at a faraway point among the trees.

"That's good," Thalia said approvingly. "You already remember."

Diana lowered the bow, dropping her gaze as well, and sitting back on the steps. "So, you didn't tell me why there was a war on the Plaza's front steps."

Thalia let out a deep sigh, seeming to gain a few years in an instant. "War is right," she said solemnly. "Titans against gods, with the half-bloods caught in between. Children of a god and a mortal," she clarified at Diana's confusion, "like me."

Well, that explained why Diana had never heard of a goddess called Thalia.

"The Titans were pulling out all the monsters they could get, things like the giants, drakons, even Typhon. The Clazmonian Sow was pretty memorable-- she's the one who did _that_." Thalia pointed up to where the top floors of the Plaza were blown out. "We Misted most of the damage on Manhattan, but a few places had to be closed down. The Plaza was one. Olympus was another."

"Olympus?" Diana repeated, surprised.

"Why do you think the gods are all living in a park?" Thalia wanted to know. "It was scheduled to be rebuilt, but that… fell through. Now, the gutted remains are being used by those freaky glass birds."

"The Empire State Building?" Diana asked.

Thalia nodded. "Annabeth would flip if she knew what happened to it," she said fondly. "The entire project broke down without her."

"What happened?" Diana wanted to know.

"She ran off with her boyfriend Percy after the end of the world," Thalia said. "Left all the plans, but only Athena and Hephaes-- Vulcan could figure them out, and they were too busy with other stuff. Zeus was pissed; Poseidon, too-- he wanted her to design his new underwater palace."

"That's so romantic!" Diana said, sighing.

Thalia gave her a funny look. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know." Diana twirled a lock of red-gold hair around her fingers, contemplating her words. "It's just sweet, the two of them defying the gods and going off together..." She turned pink at Thalia's continued disbelief. "Is that weird?"

"You _are_ the maiden goddess of chastity," Thalia pointed out. "Not too long ago, you would've said something like 'she shouldn't have shirked her duties just for some boy who's probably going to break her heart anyway.'"

"I would not have!" Diana protested.

"Maybe not," Thalia conceded, "but you definitely wouldn't have said _that_."

"Well, I guess it's the Venus half of me talking," Diana said defensively.

"The _what_?!" Thalia sat bolt upright, shock written all over her face. "Did you say-- _Venus_ half?"

"You don't know?" Diana asked, surprised. "I thought everyone did. Zeus mentioned it during his announcement--"

"I came late," Thalia excused herself. "Venus? Did they really--?" She shook her head. "I was wondering where she'd disappeared to. Normally, she's hanging all over Mars." Abruptly, her doubt became anger. "I can't believe they did that! Of all the goddesses to stick in there with you, they picked Venus? Who in Hades came up with that idea?"

"Apollo thinks it was Hera," Diana volunteered.

"Of course it was Hera," Thalia muttered. "Damn cow lady. What was she thinking?"

Diana waited patiently as Thalia ranted with a series of curses in English and Ancient Greek, both of which Diana somehow understood-- and wished she didn't. Finally, as Thalia wound down, the other girl tuned back into the conversation.

"What do you think?" Thalia said suddenly.

"Hm?" Diana asked, startled.

"This whole Venus thing. How do you feel about it?"

"I guess…" Diana faltered. "I hate it!" she burst out. "I wish they never stuck her in here! I mean, I always thought there was something weird about me, but this is too much! Bad enough I'm a goddess in the first place, but two of them? It's like whatever I do, half of me is happy, but the other one freaks out!" She slumped, putting her elbows on her knees. "I don't even know who I am anymore."

"I can't say I know exactly what you're talking about," Thalia said slowly, "but I get some of it. I found out I was a half-blood when I was around ten or eleven. Before that, I was still a monster magnet. Every time a hellhound or a Fury attacked, I thought I was going insane. Then I found out about my father, and that there were others like me." She smiled. "Well, not exactly like me, but trust me: it gets easier when you have someone to share with."

Diana was about to reply when a sunbeam slammed into the ground in front of them, materializing into a blond figure wearing a white toga and a pair of Ray-Bans.

"There you are!" Apollo said in relief. "I've been looking all over for you!"

"Hi, Apollo," Diana said, brightening slightly.

"What's up?" Thalia greeted him.

"Oh, Thalia," the god said, surprised. "I should've known you'd be here."

"Yes, you should've," the girl agreed cheerfully. "Congratulations, Shades. The great god of prophecy strikes again."

He sighed mournfully, lifting his sunglasses and resting them on his sandy mop to show off his baby blues. "I remember the days when you were all respectful and still called me 'Lord Apollo.'"

"What's going on?" Diana interrupted before Thalia could retort.

"Oh, Zeus has been on my case to start your training, so he can brag to the other pantheons what a dedicated avatar we have," Apollo said. "We're going to Long Island for a bit, so you can pick up some stuff."

"Long Island?" Diana began stretching out her legs-- they were a little stiff from sitting still for so long. "Are we doing that teleporting thing?"

"Nope," Apollo grinned, flashing a set of white teeth. "We're traveling in style. Cover your eyes," he warned, snapping his fingers.

There was a flash of light, and suddenly, a sleek red convertible was parked outside the Plaza, waves of heat distorting the air around it. Diana let out a silent whistle. She was the daughter of a mechanic-- she could appreciate a Maserati when she saw one.

Thalia arched an eyebrow. "Slacking off on your sun god duties?"

Apollo waved a hand. "Oh, I got what's-his-face-- one of the Mesoamerican guys to cover for me. He needs the power anyway; couldn't wait to take the noon shift. Speaking of which…" he glanced up at the sky. "We should get going."

"Alright." Diana reluctantly agreed. She stood, then hesitated, looking back at Thalia. "Do you… want to come?"

"Yeah, I could probably give you a few tips on shooting," the sun god teased.

"Of course," Thalia said, rolling her eyes. Suddenly, she smiled mischievously. "Can I drive?"

Apollo's reaction was comical. "No!" he almost shouted, jumping protectively in front of his car. "I'm not letting you behind the wheel ever again!"

Diana blinked, looking from the god to the girl still sitting on the steps. She was sure that was a story she would like to hear.

"Never mind, then," Thalia declined, grinning. "I wouldn't feel safe in anything he's driving."

"You're one to talk," Apollo shot back. "I seem to recall one incident--"

"Oh, please. Who was the one stupid enough to put a fifteen-year-old with no training or experience behind the wheel of the flying sun car?"

"You're the daughter of Zeus; I figured you could handle it!"

"Um," Diana began.

"And I'm sure the lake completely agrees with you," Thalia mocked.

"What-- that was your fault, not mine!" Apollo said indignantly. "How am I getting blamed for this?"

"Excuse me?" Diana tried again.

The squabble continued unabated.

"Hey!" the avatar shouted.

"What?!" Thalia and Apollo snapped in unison. Immediately, both looked chagrined as they set eyes on Diana's scowl.

"Aren't we on a schedule or something?" she asked irritably.

"Oh." Apollo blinked. "Alright, fine, let's go." He started for the car, his sister alongside him.

"Hey, Diana!"

She and Apollo turned to see the dark-haired girl walk up to the two of them.

"This is yours."

Thalia handed Diana a heavy bundle. She weighed it in her hand for a moment, then carefully unwrapped to reveal a pair of knives, each about as long as her forearm and made of an ethereal bronze that almost seemed to glow.

A closer examination showed that they both had intricately designed animals subtly carved into the hilts-- one a howling timber wolf, the other a diving peregrine falcon-- and Diana unconsciously knew that these knives, like herself, were meant for the careful, silent art of the hunt. She looked up into electric blue eyes.

"The Hunters are behind you," Thalia bowed.

"Lady Artemis."

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End file.
